Da Cunha named new bishop of Fall River diocese

FALL RIVER — The Diocese of Fall River will install its eighth bishop, the Rev. Edgar Moreira da Cunha, auxiliary bishop of the Newark, New Jersey, Archdiocese, in September.

Pope Francis appointed da Cunha to succeed Bishop George W. Coleman who, in accordance with church law, submitted a letter of resignation upon turning 75 years old on Feb. 1.

Da Cunha, 60, is the first Brazilian-born priest to become a bishop in the United States.

In his ministry in the Fall River diocese, da Cunha will shepherd about 302,484 people who worship in 84 parishes and 11 mission churches within 1,194 square miles, encompassing all of Bristol County, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and the towns of Mattapoisett, Marion and Wareham in Plymouth County.

“I see this as a gift from the Lord,” da Cunha said at a press conference Thursday at the Fall River diocese’s Highland Avenue building.

Da Cunha said the appointment would afford him a chance to “exercise his ministry.”

He thanked his “beloved Holy Father Pope Francis for his confidence” and said he was looking forward to ministering in his new home in Fall River.

“I could never imagine in my wildest dreams standing here today as the future bishop of the Fall River diocese,” da Cunha said.

Da Cunha arrived in Fall River on Wednesday evening. At the press conference, he was welcomed by Coleman and smiled easily as he spoke and shook hands with all present. He said he will return to Newark to continue in his present role as auxiliary bishop until September.

He said he wasn’t aware if his appointment in the Fall River Diocese had anything to do with his background, or the strong Brazilian and Portuguese presence in the area.

He is fluent in those languages.

Da Cunha’s installation as bishop of the Fall River Diocese is planned for Sept. 24 at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in Fall River. Details will be announced in the forthcoming weeks.

At St. Mary’s noon Mass on Thursday, parishioners learned of the announcement and said they welcomed da Cunha to Fall River.

“Wow. That’s fantastic. We have a lot of Portuguese people here,” said parishioner Andre Nasser.

The Cathedral of Saint Mary offers a weekly Mass for the city’s Brazilian population.

St. Mary’s Rev. John C. Ozug said he had previously met da Cunha.

“He is certainly of the heart and mind of the good shepherd and is a holy reflection of our Holy Father Pope Francis himself,” Ozug said.

Parishioner Martha Ratcliffe said it was the first that she’d heard of the new bishop.

“There’ll be some adjustments,” she said. “We’ll have to see how this turns out.”

Cindy Raymond noted that it would be good for the Portuguese and Brazilian residents in Greater Fall River.

“There’s a lot of Portuguese people around here,” Raymond said.

Local priests, upon hearing the news, welcomed da Cunha to Fall River.

“It should be kind of exciting,” said the Rev. Bruce M. Neylon of Holy Trinity Church on Stafford Road.

He said the appointment would be a good thing for the city’s immigrants.

The Rev. Maurice O. Gauvin recently took the helm at Espirito Santo on Alden Street.

“We’re very happy to have him here,” Gauvin said. “I look forward to meeting him.”

Da Cunha said he had no specific plans yet for the Fall River diocese. He said he needed to “get to know” the diocese and learn its “greatest needs.”

When questions about closing churches and schools were put forth, da Cunha said he did not know enough about the diocese to make any decisions. He said that “Catholic education is very important to our mission” and that he wanted the diocese to “continue to provide a Catholic education.”

He was questioned about a statement by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which said da Cunha ignored the clergy sexual abuse issue in Newark. The network said he showed no real “courage” or “compassion” in those cases.

Da Cunha said he had been a vicar for one year at the time and it was not among his responsibilities to address the issues.

Da Cunha was born in Nova Fatima, Bahia, Brazil, on Aug. 21, 1953, the son of Manoel and Josefa Moreira.

He attended local schools in Nova Fatima, Bahia, including the minor seminary of the Vocationist Fathers in Riachão do Jacuípe. There he joined the Vocationist Fathers, also known as the Society of Divine Vocations.

Da Cunha studied philosophy at Universidade Catolica do Salvador and theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, New Jersey, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree.

He was ordained to the priesthood for the Society of Divine Vocations, in the Church of St. Michael in Newark in 1982. Following his ordination, he served as a parochial vicar of St. Michael Church, and as director of vocations.

In 1983, when the archdiocese entrusted Saint Nicholas Parish in Palisades Park to the Vocationist Fathers, da Cunha was transferred there to serve as parochial vicar and vice superior of the local community and continued his ministry of promoting vocations.

As vocation director, he served on the board of the Eastern Religious Vocations Directors Association.

In 1987, he was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas Parish. In 1992, he was elected secretary of the Council of the Vocationist Delegation in the United States.

From 1994 to 2000, da Cunha served as novice master and director of the Vocationary, the house of formation that the Vocationist Fathers maintains in Florham Park, New Jersey.

His appointment as auxiliary bishop of Newark and titular bishop of Ucres was announced by the Holy See in 2003. He was ordained bishop that same year.

Da Cunha was appointed regional bishop for Essex County in 2003 and then vicar for evangelization in 2005.

He was named vicar general for the Archdiocese of Newark in 2013 and as such has since served as the principal deputy of the archbishop in the administration of the archdiocese.

Da Cunha said he was “grateful” for the kind welcome he has received in Fall River. He said he will count on Coleman’s expertise in getting to know the community, its history and traditions.

“I know I have so much to learn,” da Cunha said. “I’m willing to learn from them and to celebrate our faith in God together.”

He said there was “reason to celebrate and rejoice.”

Da Cunha is currently a member of the Newark Archdiocesan Board of Consultors, Presbyteral Council, the Clergy Personnel Board; the New Jersey Catholic Conference Board of Bishops and chairman of NJCC Public Policy Committee.

He has served as member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church; Committee on Migration; and currently is a member of the Sub-Committee on the Church in Latin America, the Sub-Committee on Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugee and Travelers.

He is chairman of the Archdiocesan Implementation Team for the New Energies — Parish Transition Project in the Archdiocese of Newark.

He serves as a consultor to the subcommittee on Hispanic affairs; and as episcopal liaison to the Brazilian Apostolate in the United States.

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